A 1962 graduate of Williams College, Keating served on the institution’s board of trustees from 1996-2011. He earned a degree from Harvard Law School in 1965, and has also been an adjunct professor at Northeastern University School of Law since 1995 and a visiting lecturer at Harvard Business School.

Marshall and other Boston lawyers who know Keating and are familiar with the searches at Harvard said that his knowledge of the law, coupled with his understanding of academic institutions, make him uniquely suited for the job.

“I think that the service as trustee of any of these institutions gives one a very clearly perspective on matters that are concerning to students, for faculty, and for the alumni of the University,” Marshall said.

—Staff writer Nicholas P. Fandos can be reached at nicholasfandos@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @npfandos.

—Staff writer Samuel Y. Weinstock can be reached at syweinstock@college.harvard.edu. Follow him on Twitter @syweinstock.

This article has been revised to reflect the following correction:

CORRECTION: April 11, 2013

An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that Lawrence S. Bacow is the president of Tufts University. In fact, he is president emeritus at Tufts.